The Gates Of Paradise
by jadekadir
Summary: Set right after The Conqueror Of Shamballa, this is the story of the search for the bomb. Hijinks ensue.
1. Chapter 1

**A Road In Germany - November 10th, 1923**

Edward wasn't quite sure how he felt about being stranded again in this foreign world. Worse yet his brother Alphonse was trapped here with him. At least they were alive and together again. That was a blessing, but Ed still sometimes had violent nightmares about some of the things they'd seen and experienced together and about all the time they'd been separated. And he hadn't really felt this lost since their mother died. Before the recent events in Germany, he'd always held out hope that he might find a way back home and back to his brother. Now he knew that that dream, that hope, was a lie. He could never go home again.

The people here in this strange world have a myth about a woman named Pandora and her box of evil. They say she got so curious about what was inside of the box that she opened it and flooded the world with every misery there is. But the last thing at the bottom of the box to get out was hope. Most people never really think about what hope was doing in the box in the first place. Hope is supposed to be a good thing. If that's true, what was it doing trapped in the box? The truth is that hope is just another evil thing and that it is the worst one of them all. It makes you think that things are going to be all right and that good things are just around the bend if only you wait long enough or try hard enough. But sometimes those good things never happen. And then comes crushing disappointment and despair. Hope lifts you up just enough to smack you down. But people keep coming back for more because sometimes the alternative is just too hard to bear.

Oh Ed would give Al all the speeches he needed to hear about how this was their home now and that they needed to think about the bigger picture, but deep down inside all he still wanted to do was go home. He still felt like a stranger in a strange land. He was an adult of eighteen now, but inside his soul there was a part of him that still missed his mother and home in the worst way. He knew he had to be strong for Al. He'd had more time in this world than his younger brother. He knew how different and disconcerting it could be and all that they had in this world was each other.

He'd meant what he said though about the uranium bomb. They had to find it and destroy it because it was a thing that no one should ever have on either side of the gate. He wondered if they were too late though. It had been such a long time since that confrontation on the island. The first thing they would have to do would be to find Fritz Lang again and ask about the men in the photograph that he had shown Ed.

As they bounced around in the back of the truck with the other travelers, Al felt more content than he had in the last two years. He'd been reunited with his brother Ed at last and even though they were on the wrong side of the gate, he was sure that nothing could stop them from doing what they needed to do. Maybe after they'd found the uranium bomb and gotten rid of it, they could concentrate on finding a way back home.

He knew Ed was trying to be strong for him, but Al knew his brother and how he thought. Al's head was stuffed full of the memories he'd lived without while his body and his soul were parted for four years. He sometimes had trouble believing in his years as a soul trapped in a suit of armor. But he knew that they had happened and he was glad that he remembered his time spent traveling and adventuring with his brother on their quest for the Philosopher's Stone. Despite the many dangers they had faced and the horrors they had seen together, it was the best time of his life.

"Brother, I'm glad we're together again," Said Al.

"Me too Al. Me too," Said Ed.

"What do we do now?" Asked Al.

"First we have to find a man named Fritz Lang. He showed me a picture once of several men with the uranium bomb. He might know more about the people in the picture and where we might find them. We have to destroy that thing. No one should ever have anything that destructive on either side of the gate," Said Ed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Berlin, Germany - November 24th, 1923**

"Brother, wait up!" Said Al.

"Come on Al! They're right behind us!" Said Ed.

Ed and Al ran around the street corner with a group of about a dozen young Nazis closing in behind them. They probably would have stayed and fought to stand up for themselves, but there were just too many of them. Ever since his run in with the Thule Society a few weeks ago, Ed had been persona non gratis with the Nazis. As they were running down the street, a girl opened a door and beckoned them inside.

"Hurry up. Inside. The both of you."

Ed made a sharp right turn with Al hot on his heels and the girl shut the door behind them. They were both breathing hard, but were far from winded. Ed looked over at their rescuer and saw the most beautiful young woman he'd ever laid eyes on. She had long auburn hair, pale skin and blue almond-shaped eyes. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her.

"Up the stairs. Quietly."

Ed stared at the young lady with his mouth open, but she shooed them up the stairs as the sounds of boots got louder outside. Al tugged on Ed's arm and they slipped up the stairs to the second floor of the shop which seemed to be a small apartment. One of the young punks must have spotted them entering the store though, because the gang of toughs burst in the door with dark looks on their faces and murder in their eyes.

"Thank God. They ran that way. I think one of them had a knife."

The girl pointed at the back of the shop where there was a back door and she made distraught motions with her hands. The leader of the pack eyed her for a moment but seemed to take her account at face value. She even managed to squeeze out a tear that ran down her pale cheek.

"Come on. We can still catch those traitors."

The gang of toughs ran through the shop and out the back door. The young woman waited for a few moments to make sure that they weren't coming back and went to lock both the front and back doors. When the shop was secure, she turned the sign in the window to say 'closed'.

"You can come down now. I do believe they've gone," Said Lily.

Ed came down the stairs first with Al not far behind him. The shop seemed to be some sort of haberdashery because there were hats for gentlemen and ladies and gloves and scarves on displays through out the store. Ed was blushing and trying very hard not to stare at the beautiful girl.

"Thank you for helping us to escape those guys," Said Al.

"It was my pleasure. My name is Lily and I run this shop. I just couldn't stand by and let those hooligans run down good people. It's a terrible thing, what's happening in this country these days. There's all these young men with nothing to do but terrorize people."

Lily tried to cover her nervousness by straightening things in the shop that really didn't need it. The shorter fellow looked alarmingly familiar. She just couldn't seem to place him.

Ed walked over to the front door. "Well we might as well be on our way then, now that they're gone. We don't want to get you into trouble if they come back looking for us."

"Don't be silly. I insist that after being chased like that, you both need some soothing tea. Now go on upstairs and I'll be right behind you. I'm just going to double check the doors," Said Lily.

"Thank you Lily," Al smiled at her. "Come on Brother."

Ed sighed and followed Al up the stairs to the second floor. There was a small apartment above the shop with a single small bedroom and a kitchen and sitting room combination and a small washroom. It was comfortably furnished and seemed cozy. Ed and Al sat down on the slightly worn sofa.

"We should leave Al. Every minute we waste is another minute that that bomb is out there. We haven't even found Fritz yet. I thought for sure he would be here, but after what happened he must have packed up awfully quick," Said Ed.

"I know Brother. She seems really nice but kind of lonely. Since she helped us, I thought it would be nice to help her too. Maybe she just wants some company for a little while and that's not too much to ask. Besides, she might be able to help us find him," Said Al.

"Maybe, but I don't really see how," Said Ed.

Lily didn't want them to know she'd been eavesdropping on their conversation, so she snuck back down the stairs and came back up making deliberate noise on the stairs. She knew that they'd seemed familiar and now she knew why. She just had to stay close to them until the time was right.

When she got to the top of the stairs, she walked over to the small kitchen area and filled a tea kettle with water before putting it on the stove to heat. She got out three cups and saucers and set them on the counter.

"So would you mind telling me why those hooligans were chasing you today?" Said Lily.

"There was this Jewish guy and a couple of those thugs were harassing him. I didn't think that was right so I told them to knock it off," Said Ed.

"That was very brave of you," Said Lily.

"It was going pretty well until more of their friends showed up," Said Al.

The kettle began to whistle in the kitchen and Lily poured tea into three delicate white cups. She put them on a tray and brought them into the sitting room and placed the tray on the coffee table.

"Thank you Lily," Said Al.

"Now what brings you fellows to Berlin?" Said Lily.

"Well, Brother and I are looking for someone. We thought he would be here, but we can't seem to find him," Said Al.

Lily took a sip of her tea before speaking. "Well, perhaps I can help you. I know quite a bit about the people here and I might be able to give you some advice."

Al looked over at Ed, pleading with his eyes. They needed help but Ed had never been good at asking for it. Al hoped that just this once Ed would be ruled by common sense.

Ed took a moment to meet Al's eyes. They were at loose ends and any help would be amazing but asking for it was difficult. And then there was Lily herself. She fascinated Ed. He found that he wanted to say yes just to be around her for as long as he could.

"We're looking for a man named Fritz Lang. He makes motion pictures," Said Ed.

"Oh! Fritz is a darling man, but his sense of humor is a little odd," Said Lily.

"How do you know him Lily?" Asked Al.

"Well, he needed some hats for one of his productions so I gave him a good deal on the lot. He had me out to his set once and the whole process was simply amazing. I've got a photograph around here that was taken on the set," Said Lily.

Lily set down her tea cup and rose up out of her chair. She rummaged around in a small wooden box until she fished out a black and white picture of herself and Fritz Lang arm in arm.

"Ah! Here we are. This was taken only a few weeks ago. But I heard he had a little run-in with some people called the Thule Society. They sound like nasty folk if you ask me," Said Lily.

Ed took the photograph from Lily and showed it to Al. Al gasped and looked quickly over at Ed. He couldn't believe his eyes. He took the photograph from Ed to get a better look at it.

"He looks just like..." Said Al.

"Yeah, I know. But he's not one of them. You'll probably see quite a few familiar faces on this side. It was weird at first. Remember how we saw Hughes, but he wasn't the same. No one is. It's probably best to forget the others," Said Ed.

"We'll see them again Brother. I just know it. You can't give up. You found the way before. We can find it again," Said Al.

Lily looked at the two young men across from her. What they were saying teased something in her memory from when she was a child, but she just couldn't place it. It would drive her crazy if she thought about it, so she tried to let it slip back into her subconscious.

"What are you two talking about over there? It seems so earnestly serious," Said Lily.

"Nothing Lily. It's just family stuff," Said Ed.

Ed took a sip of his rapidly cooling tea. Al handed the photograph back to Lily who set it on the coffee table next to the tea tray.

"Now, how can I help you two?" Lily asked.

She smiled at the two brothers, but her smile seemed to linger longest on Ed. She was twenty three and unmarried and he was incredibly handsome. It probably wouldn't hurt to flirt just a bit.

Ed blushed a little bit when Lily's eyes met his. There seemed to be a spark between them, but he couldn't let her distract him from his mission. Maybe after the bomb was destroyed, he could come back here to see her. If he was going to be in this world permanently, he should start making some friends.

Al noticed the way Ed and Lily were looking at each other but didn't know just what to make of it. She was certainly pretty, but that didn't quite seem to cover it. There was something going on there.

"Well, if you know where Fritz went off to, that would really help us out Lily," Said Al.

Lily sighed and got up from her chair. "Sadly, he didn't confide that to me before he disappeared, but I may know someone who could know that information. I'll need to go out for a bit to ask around. You two should stay here, where it's safe," Said Lily.

"No way," Ed shot up off of the sofa. "If you're going out there to talk to people who might be dangerous, then you'll need Al and I to protect you."

"Yeah Lily. We can't just let you go into danger alone," Said Al.

Lily smiled at Ed again. There was real warmth there and perhaps a budding affection that could blossom given enough time. Lily grabbed her coat off of the coat rack by the door. It was a rich chocolate brown that complimented her pale skin. She shrugged it on and forced her concentration to doing up the buttons.

"Ed, it's not that my contacts are very dangerous. They're really not dangerous at all. But they are very secretive and they don't like a bunch of people, let alone strangers, to know who they are and what they do for me," Said Lily.

"Are they spies?" Asked Al.

His innocent question made Lily pause. Her fingers stopped mid-button but it was only momentary. Al was far too astute for comfort.

"No Al, they're not spies per say, but what they are doing is dangerous for them because if people like those young Nazis found out too much about the information trade, there would be very serious consequences indeed," Said Lily.

"That's why you need us with you Lily. I'm not taking no for an answer," Said Ed.

Lily turned towards the door and sighed. "Fine, you can come with me, but you must do exactly what I say. I don't want to spook my contacts."

Secretly Lily was pleased that the brothers wanted to come with her. She wanted to keep them close so she could learn more about them. It was the sort of thing she was here in Berlin to do after all.

Lily locked the door behind them and led the way out of the shop and into the darkening streets of Berlin. Ed was excited to be going forward again. He and Al had been at loose ends until they met Lily.

An hour later and the three of them were walking into a seedy bar in an even seedier part of town. Cigarette smoke clouded the air and a piano player plunked away at his piano in the corner. He wasn't a very good player.

Lily led Ed and Al over to the bartender who was filling a mug with dark foamy beer for one of the patrons. Lily raised one pale hand to get the bartender's attention. Ed and Al flanked her, both keeping their hands free as had become their habit from their time as Alchemists in Amestris.

The bartender finished dispensing beer to the fellow at the far end of the bar before he waddled over to the unlikely trio. He was a massive man with a large bald head and small black eyes set in pasty white flesh. Al inhaled sharply and backed up a step. He looked over at Ed who shook his head slightly. He meant that they should pretend they'd never seen the man, even though he looked just like the homunculus named Gluttony.

But Al knew that it wasn't really Gluttony because he'd seen Gluttony die. In fact, he'd been the principle cause of that death. It was something he still thought about in the middle of the night when he was having trouble sleeping.

"Marcus, I'd like to introduce you to a pair of brothers who need a little information. I can vouch for them," Said Lily. She turned towards the two brothers and jerked her head towards Marcus. Ed and Al stepped forward to the bar and Lily took a half step back to give them some room.

"I'm Edward Elric and this is my brother Al. We're looking for a man named Fritz Lang. Lily said you might be able to help us," Said Ed.

Marcus looked them over silently with his small round piggy eyes before pouring them each a glass of dark beer. He set the mugs in front of them and made a small gesture at a table in the back that was partially wrapped in shadows.

"You want to talk to that guy over there. He says his name is Hans. He knows everybody. He may know where this Lang guy is," Said Marcus.

"Just put those on my tab then Marcus. Thank you," Lily said and smiled.

"Thanks," Said Al.

Ed and Al carried their drinks over to the darkened table with Lily trailing behind them. As they got closer, they could make out a figure sitting at the back side of the table with his back to the wall. He was wrapped up in a dark colored trench coat and had a fedora pulled low over his face.

Ed took the seat opposite the stranger with Al on his right and Lily on his left. He took a sip of his beer before setting it down on the scarred table top. Al never touched his beer. That sort of thing wasn't to his taste.

"Are you Hans?" Ed asked quietly.

"It depends on who wants to know."

The stranger's voice was husky but Ed still couldn't make out his face very well. Ed leaned forward a little bit and wrapped his fingers around the glass mug full of dark beer.

"The name's Edward Elric. This is Alphonse and Lily. We were told you might be able to help us," Said Ed.

"That all depends on what you need and what you have to give me in return. Nothing in life is free. There must be an equivalent exchange."

Ed felt his body grow hot. He stood up from his chair so fast that it took everyone a moment to realize that he'd stood up at all. He lunged across the table at the stranger in the fedora, knocking over glasses and spilling beer everywhere.

"Who are you? How do you know about equivalent exchange? Do you know us?" Asked Ed. He grabbed the stranger by the front of his trench coat and pulled him out of the shadows and into the more certain light. The Stranger resisted Ed's rough handling.

"Ed!" Said Lily.

"Brother! What are you doing?" Asked Al. He clutched Ed's arm. But Ed was determined to find out who this Hans person really was.

"He knows about us Al. You heard what he said. He said equivalent exchange," Said Ed.

The stranger tried to break out of Ed's grip, but since Ed had an automail arm, it was a lost cause. Slowly but surely, Ed pulled the stranger into the light that was shining from a bare bulb overhead.

Ed gripped the front of the trench coat and shook the man until his fedora fell off. It seemed like slow motion as the hat tumbled off his head and hit the table. The light glinted off his round glasses and pasty white skin. The look in his eyes was the same one you might find on a deer trapped in the middle of the road by a motor vehicle's headlights.

"Who are you and how do you know about us? Stop jerking me around!" Said Ed.

The man was too frightened to struggle anymore, but his grip on the table made his knuckles white. Lily had stood up to keep away from the spilled beer and she looked around at the bar. Most of the patrons had learned a long time ago to keep themselves to themselves and not get involved in other people's fights, but a few of them were stealing glances at the scene Ed was causing. Al simply kept his hand on Ed's arm to try to keep him from doing anything too foolish.

"Ed, we should take this outside. There are too many eyes here and too many ears. We can go out back where it's quiet and private," Lily said quietly.

She stepped aside and Ed manhandled the stranger to the back of the bar where there was a second door. Al brought up the rear and tried to keep anyone from following them. Once they were outside in the alleyway in the rear of the bar, Ed backed the stranger into the wall of the alleyway opposite the bar rather hard. The stranger gave an oof and cringed away from the ferocious look in Ed's golden eyes.

"Now, answer my question. Who are you?" Ed snarled.

"My name is Hans Stillman. About a week ago I was approached by a young woman who wanted to sell some information about a rich Jew that the Nazis were looking for. She said that others would be looking for him too, but the one she was interested in the most would react to the phrase equivalent exchange. She just wanted to know when I saw that person and where he was going," Said Hans.

"Did she tell you who she was or who the Jew was or where we might find either of them?" Asked Lily.

"No. She just said to tell her who was asking about the Jew and to send them her way. Normally I don't do that sort of thing, but she was very persuasive," Hans said as he trembled in Ed's grip.

"How were you supposed to let her know when you found the person she was looking for?" Asked Ed.

"She comes in every night just before closing time to see if I've found her man," Said Hans.

"Fine. Here's what we're going to do. You're going to go back to your table and wait for her. When she shows up, you'll tell her that she can find Ed at Franz Haberdashery. Do not mention his brother or myself. We'll be watching. If you do or say anything to tip her off to our presence or our little visit with you out in the alleyway here, I'll shoot you," Said Lily.

She pulled a small 22 caliber handgun out of her coat pocket to show it to Hans, who broke out in a sweat. Lily put the gun back into her coat pocket and smiled ever so sweetly at Hans. She grabbed his arm roughly and led him back into the bar. Ed was going to follow her back inside, but Al stepped up to him and pulled him aside.

"What are we doing Brother? I mean I didn't know she had a gun. Did you?" Asked Al.

"No Al, but it was your idea to get Lily involved. We have to find Fritz and the bomb, and this woman that talked to Hans can help us. We just have to get to her," Said Ed.

"But who would know about us? None of the people here even know about the gate. Do they?" Asked Al.

"Maybe it's someone from the Thule Society. They were trying to recruit Fritz Lang before they used the gate to invade Amestris. And afterwards there were a handful of them there when we came back through the gate. I don't know. All I know is that we're getting closer to finding Fritz and getting information about the uranium bomb," Said Ed.

"Maybe you're right Brother, but I don't believe this is the right way to do it. It makes us into little more than thugs," Said Al.

"I saw what that bomb can do Al, when Dante sent me through the gate. My mind and soul found their way into the body of this world's Ed while my body was in the gate and I saw the destruction it causes and all the people it can kill. I don't care what I have to do to stop it, as long as that bomb is never used," Said Ed. He stepped past Al and went back into the bar. Al sighed and hung his head down.

"I hope that stopping the bomb doesn't cost us too much Brother. You're all I've got in this strange world," Said Al. But Ed was already gone and Al's words were lost to the night. He pulled open the door and went inside to find Ed and Lily and to wait for their mystery woman to find them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Central, Amestris - Underground City - Same Day**

Roy looked around himself at the ruins of the Underground City. The circle that Al had inscribed on the floor was still there. The gate wasn't there though. After Ed and Al disappeared through it, the gate lasted for about a day before just shutting down. It was as if the energy needed to sustain it was all used up.

But Roy studied the design of the transmutation circle day after day. He wanted to know all there was to know about it so that if the time ever came, he could re-activate it and bring the boys home where they belonged.

They had come to mean so much to him and to those they'd touched with their lives that their absence was almost unbearable. He wasn't the only one to visit this place as if it were a shrine to their memory. Winry came when she was in Central and so did Hawkeye. They were the most frequent visitors, but others had come too, mostly the other officers that the boys had worked with during their quest for the Philosopher's Stone. It was just that Roy couldn't let them go. It hurt too much.

He heard footsteps approaching but he didn't let it distract him from his study of the transmutation circle. He knew who it would be. He wasn't wrong.

"You spend a lot of time down here. Lieutenant Hawkeye says you spend more time here than anywhere else," Said Winry.

Roy stood up and turned around to face Winry. Their complicated past kept them from being friends really, but over the years of Ed's absence they had formed a sort of truce based on mutual grief. Now Al was gone too and it was almost too much for them to bear alone, so they seemed to seek each other out for companionship.

"If I can figure out how it works, then I might be able to open it again. It only needs to be open long enough for them to come through. But I don't know where they are or how to tell them what I'm doing," Said Roy.

Roy turned away from Winry and stared down at the transmutation circle on the floor. His hands were balled up in fists so tight that his knuckles were white. Winry took a step towards his back and reached out her hand. Her touch was light, but Roy stiffened under her hand. There were things that they both wanted to say to each other, but those words remained unspoken. Winry took her hand away from Roy's back.

"You bring them back Roy Mustang. You here me? I know you can do it. Maybe you're the only one who can," Said Winry.

"I promise, Winry. I promise to bring them home alive, no matter what it takes," Said Roy.

Winry turned away and walked over to the exit from the underground city. When she looked back, Roy was still standing in the spot she had left him in. His shoulders were shaking. She couldn't see the tears, but she knew they were there.


	4. Chapter 4

**Berlin, Germany November 24th, 1923**

Ed, Al and Lily sat at a table in the bar where they could see Hans and he could see them if he knew what to look for. They waited until the bartender, Marcus, started closing up. That was when she walked in. She had long brown hair and dusky skin. She sat at the table with Hans. Her back was to Ed, but he knew her anyway. He would know her anywhere.

"Noah," Ed whispered her name. He couldn't believe she was there. If he'd had time to think about it, it would have made sense. She had tried to use him to take her through the gate. She had also seen him come back with Al. He hadn't really thought about her since they parted just outside of Berlin a couple of weeks ago.

Things seemed to be going well. Hans was playing his part as he should. He looked nervous but not too much so. He was supposed to give his contact an edited version of events but Ed knew their cover was blown the minute that Noah touched Hans on the hand.

Noah stiffened up and stood up abruptly from her chair. She whirled around to face the table in the shadows where Ed, Al and Lily were sitting. She took one small step towards them, her hands clasped in front of her heart.

"Edward? Alphonse? If you're still there, please come out of the darkness. I've been looking for you. I can help you. You know I can Ed. You know about my gift," Said Noah.

Ed stood up and walked around the table towards where Noah stood. They stood several feet apart and all of the emotions that Ed was feeling flew across his face. He thought that he'd forgiven her, but something about seeing her again just ripped the wounds wide open inside of him.

"Yeah, I know about your gift. I know how you used it, and me, to help the Thule Society to try to conquer my world. I know you wanted someplace to belong so badly that you didn't care who got hurt just as long as you got what you wanted in the end," Said Ed.

Noah cringed at his angry words and the hurt look on Ed's face. She tried to reach out to him, but he did not reach back to her. In fact, he took a step back from her outstretched hand.

"I thought you had forgiven me Ed. I thought you understood that I was truly sorry for what happened. I was trying to find you because I can help you find Fritz Lang. I know that you're looking for him," Said Noah.

"And how did you know that? Did I tell you? No," Said Ed.

"No, you didn't. But you were thinking about it when you helped me into the back of that truck. I couldn't help it Ed. I thought I could resist. I thought I could just let you go. But the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that an apology would never be enough to make up for what I did. I don't think anything would ever be enough to make up for all the people who must have been hurt or killed by that madwoman. So I tried to find you. I want to help you. I need to help you. Please Ed. Please let me atone in some small way for the damage I've caused," Said Noah.

Noah was on the verge of tears when Al got up from the table and stood beside his brother. He wanted to comfort Noah, but he remembered all the destruction that the people from Germany had caused to his native land and all of the people who were killed and he held himself back. He had an easier time forgiving people than his brother Ed, but this was a hard thing for the both of them to deal with.

"You have to understand Noah; it's hard to be here. Everything here is strange and the people we knew back home are completely different here," Said Al.

Tears welled up in Noah's eyes. She turned her head away to try to get her emotions under control. This was not going the way she had hoped it would.

"I know a little about how you feel Al. It may not seem like it, but I do. So I'm going to tell you where you can find Fritz Lang with no expectations. I hope someday that you'll be able to forgive me for what I have done. You can find him staying at a run down hotel called The Bell Hotel," Said Noah.

Ed stood a moment, looking at Noah like he wanted to see inside of her, before walking past her. Al looked over at Lily, who had remained sitting at the table, watching this very odd exchange going on in front of her. It seemed so intensely personal that being in the audience was like being a bit of a voyeur. She stood up and followed Al out past Noah. Al kept walking so he could catch up with Ed.

Noah reached out and latched onto Lily's hand. They froze together for just a moment before Noah dropped Lily's hand. She gave Lily a watery little smile like she'd gotten a particularly nice present for no particular reason.

"You can help them, but it can't go to England. It can't. It has to be destroyed. It's pure evil and no good can ever come of it," Said Noah.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean. I'll try to help them if I can because they're good and it's the right thing to do," Said Lily.

Lily started to walk away from Noah. She made it a few steps before she stopped and looked behind her. Noah was simply standing there, staring at Lily.

"There's something about those two. I can't quite put my finger on it. I think you know what it is. If you have any knowledge that could help me help them, come by my shop, Franz Haberdashery, later tonight and we'll talk," Said Lily.

Lily turned around and walked out of the bar. She, Ed and Al walked back towards Lily's shop. They'd gone a couple of blocks when Al stopped in his tracks.

"What are we going to do now Brother?" Asked Al.

"Now we go find Fritz," Ed turned his attention to Lily. "Thank you for helping us Lily, but I have a feeling that things are going to get very dangerous from here on out and I wouldn't want you to get hurt. You should probably go home and forget you ever met us."

Lily laughed, charming and carefree. She smiled at Ed and hooked her arm through his. She beckoned Al with her free arm and did the same to him when he got close enough to her.

"We three are going to be like peas in a pod until we figure out your little mystery. You're not getting rid of me that easily Ed, not that easily at all. Besides, I'm sure the safest place of all is where you both can protect me should the need arise. Now, since I'm fairly sure neither one of you know where The Bell Hotel is, and I do, that you still need me. And Ed, I know how to take care of myself so you needn't worry about that on my account. So let's go," Said Lily.

Lily started walking and Ed and Al had no choice but to follow her. Since they were already in a part of town close to The Bell Hotel, they didn't have far to travel. Once they arrived at The Bell Hotel, Ed approached the desk clerk to find out which room Fritz Lang was staying in at the hotel.

"We don't have anyone named Fritz Lang here. Sorry. I can't help you," Said the desk clerk.

"What about the name Mabuse? He might have used that instead," Said Ed.

The desk clerk scratched his balding head a little bit and leaned back in his chair. His paunch was covered by a stained shirt that might have been white once upon a time, but you really couldn't tell anymore.

"That name might sound familiar, but I might need a little something to jog my memory. It isn't so great you know," Said the desk clerk.

The desk clerk leered at Lily who was standing behind Ed and Al. Ed's face grew still before he leaped over the hotel's front desk and grabbed the clerk by the front of his shirt. There was a sort of madness in Ed's eyes that he got when he felt people were jerking his chain a little too much and the desk clerk got the full brunt of it.

"You're going to tell me which room he's in right now and in return I'll restrain myself from teaching you a lesson in manners. I don't think you'd like me to do that very much," Said Ed.

"Brother! Stop that!" Said Al.

"No Al. I'm tired of people jerking me around here just because they can. It isn't right," Said Ed.

"I know Brother, but this isn't the right way to do things. Remember what I said?" Said Al.

Ed didn't respond. He just looked the desk clerk in the eyes to let the clerk know that he meant business. He wasn't going to relent until he got what he wanted. He didn't particularly like who he seemed to be becoming, but time was a factor now and in his haste, he was using some tactics that he didn't particularly like.

"The guy you want is in room number 308. There's a spare key on the wall over there," Said the desk clerk.

Lily went around the counter and took the key to room number 308 off of the wall and returned to her place at Al's side. Ed eased up on the desk clerk and walked around the desk away from him. Inside he felt queasy, like he'd eaten some bad food. He kept having to resort to the wrong sort of violence. He knew Al was right, but he didn't see any faster way to get things done in the crazy world they now had to call home.

"I suggest that you forget we were ever here," Said Lily.

The three of them walked over to the staircase across the room from the front desk and started climbing single file up the creaky wooden stairs. There was a faded and grimy green runner of carpet down the middle of the stairs and old dusty paintings of life at sea along the walls of the staircase.

"This place must have been nice once," Said Al.

"Yeah, but not anymore and not for a long time I think. I wonder why Fritz would be in a place like this," Said Ed.

In the middle of the brothers Lily walked absorbed in her own thoughts. There was something important she needed to remember, but it seemed always out of reach. If she could only remember, then it would stop plaguing her thoughts. It was something that had happened to her when she was a very young girl, but the details refused to make themselves known.

"This is the sort of place you go to when you want to hide from people. If the Thule Society is after him, he might have gone into hiding to keep out of their clutches. Of course if they want him bad enough, hiding here won't be enough. He'll have to leave the country. Let's just hope we've found him in time," Said Lily.

They reached the top of the stairs and walked down the hall until they came to room number 308. Lily handed Ed the key and stepped away from the door. Ed slid the key into the lock, turned it carefully and opened the door a little ways.

"Fritz? It's Ed. I'm coming in now so don't be afraid."

Ed crept into the hotel room which was a small room, shabby and run down. There appeared to be a small washroom off to the side of the main chamber. Ed found Fritz Lang sitting in a chair by the window. He was just looking out of the slim view he had where the curtains had parted. It seemed like he wanted to see but not be seen.

"Ed? Is that really you? I'd heard you were pretty successful in stopping the ruckus out at Karl Haushofer's villa." Fritz's voice was quiet, as if he feared that speaking too loud would attract unwanted attention. There was a sort of furtiveness about him that hadn't been there before. He had the look of a rabbit being hunted by a fox.

"Yeah, there was something going on out there and you got me there just in time. I didn't prevent them from doing something really awful, but I hope I kept the damage from being too bad," Said Ed.

Ed stepped further into the room and Al walked in behind him, followed by Lily who shut the door after them. Fritz seemed to calm down a little bit now that he was safely enclosed in his hidey hole. He came out of his shell just enough to notice the two other people in the room.

"Who are these people?" Asked Fritz.

"This is my brother Alphonse, and this is Lily. Listen Fritz, do you remember the photograph you showed me that day on the set of your motion picture?" Asked Ed.

"Why yes, I do. I have it with me as a matter of fact. I wanted to keep it as a reminder of the danger of the times," Said Fritz.

Al thought that Fritz didn't look like he really needed a reminder. Fritz pulled out a billfold from his suit jacket pocket and extracted the photograph from inside of it. Ed reached out his hand and Fritz gave him the photograph a little reluctantly. The photograph showed five smiling men clustered around a round metal object that Ed knew was a uranium bomb. It was the same one that had traveled through the gate several years ago.

When Fritz had first shown him the photograph, he'd told Ed that the weapon was capable of destruction so massive that it was almost inconceivable and that it was made using science not conceived in this world. Ed thought about telling him the truth of the situation he and Al were in, but his encounter with Noah and the Thule Society had soured him on taking that kind of risk.

Ed handed the photograph to Al so he could see it. "Take a look at this Al. Does it look familiar to you?"

"It's the device that Huskinsen invented alright," Said Al.

"Yup. Fritz, we have to find this thing and destroy it for the good of the world. Do you know anything about the men in this photograph?" Asked Ed.

Fritz reached over to the bedside table where there was a short glass and a bottle of amber liquid. He poured himself a generous portion of the potent smelling alcohol and stared at it for a moment before taking a sip from the glass. The bottle looked about half empty and there was no telling how long Fritz had had it with him.

"I don't know very much Ed. I do know that they are a group of German scientists recruited by the Thule Society to study the device. They were supposed to try to figure out how it works and how to duplicate that device. They wanted me to help fund their efforts but I refused. Just the thought of that device in their hands makes my blood run as cold as the grave. I found out about the incident at the villa in bits and pieces, and when they found out my part in its failure, they came after me. This time they weren't after money, they were after blood," Said Fritz.

"What about your wife? Wasn't she a fanatical Nazi supporter?" Asked Ed.

"She still is. I sent her to England though after the danger became clear. I don't want them to hurt her just to get to me. As soon as I can find safe passage I shall join her over there. Perhaps I shall still go on to America like I talked about. Staying in Germany doesn't seem to be an option for me anymore," Said Fritz.

Lily stepped forward and took the photograph from Al to study it. Her eyes lit up like a fire was burning within them. She was very close to something important now, so close she could almost feel it like she felt the photograph.

"Where were they working at, the men in the photograph?" Asked Al.

Fritz took another sip of his drink. He had a far away look on his face as if he could see across the miles to where the bomb was being held. He let out a weary sigh.

"I don't know where they had it at. They wouldn't tell me. But that man there, the one to the left of the device, is named Johan Strauss and I encountered him in Munich once about a week and a half ago. If he's still a part of the team, they're probably there in Munich. It makes sense because it's close to the villa where they were doing their other work. They'd most likely want to keep things close in order to keep an eye on things," Said Fritz.

Fritz pointed out one of the men in the photograph to Ed and Al after Lily handed it back to them. She was very excited that they were making such rapid progress towards something that felt very important. This was going to be easier than she had hoped.

Al felt a little bit sorry for Fritz. He seemed like a very lonely man. If he had been reduced to hiding out in a place like this then he must really be scared of the people who were after him. Al began to wonder just how dangerous the Thule Society really was as a whole. He knew that the woman who had come through the gate, Dietlinde Eckart, had been very dangerous and quite a bit mad with power. But part of him hoped that she was the worst one of the bunch. They'd been able to defeat her and thwart her plans and if she was the worst they would encounter, then things weren't so bad. It looked like that hope may have been misplaced.

"What exactly is the device that is in the picture? I know it's some sort of weapon just by everyone's reactions, but what exactly does it do?" Asked Lily.

Her question froze the men in the room. Fritz had assumed that she knew what it was and Ed and Al had forgotten to tell her what it was that they needed to find Fritz for. Now they were all wondering what they should tell her and how much she could handle or even be trusted with. What did they even know about her anyway?

Fritz decided to stay out of it. His part was done and now he felt that he was free to run away to England or even America if he wanted to. There he could make his motion pictures in peace without fear of the Nazis and the Thule Society.

Al looked over at Ed. He wanted to ask what they were going to do. Ed was always the leader in their adventures together. But Ed was thinking too hard and didn't take the lead. Al sighed. He should be used to doing things on his own because of the two years that he and Ed had been apart, but it was still difficult to take the initiative when they were together. Old patterns were hard to break and he wasn't even sure he wanted to break them at all.

"The devise in the photograph is called a uranium bomb. It's capable of more destructive power than any other weapon ever seen in this world. Brother and I are on a mission to find it and destroy it. It should never have been created and it's kind of our fault that it's here at all so it's our responsibility to destroy it," Said Al.

"What do you mean when you say it's your fault that it's here? You didn't invent it," Said Lily.

"No, we didn't invent it, but we didn't prevent it from coming here either. We had the chance, but it was too late. We thought it was destroyed and that the threat was gone, but we were wrong. That was years ago and now we have to fix our mistake before more people are hurt over it or before it's used," Said Al.

"Al, how could you, either of you, have prevented a weapon like this from getting out into the world? You two must have been just boys, children, if it's been here for so long. It shouldn't have been your responsibility to stop this weapon," Said Lily.

She reached out her hand to Al and clasped his hand. It dawned on her that the burden that these young men had taken on was perhaps too much for them to bear alone. She knew she didn't have all the information she really needed about them and this situation, but they seemed to know the danger that they were in and still they went bravely on doing what they felt to be right.

A change came over her that seemed as natural as the progress of the season or the path of the stars in the heavens. She knew then what she had to do. She vowed to herself that she would be no less brave than these two young men. She only hoped that it wasn't too late. But she didn't want an audience for her confession and revelation. The fewer people who knew her secret, the safer everyone would be. She let go of Al's hand and gathered her wits about her.

"Perhaps we should go now. We'll need a good night's sleep before heading out to Munich in the morning," Said Lily.

"You don't need to come with us Lily, if you don't want to. Just because you know what we're doing doesn't mean you have to take on the danger that we're probably going to be facing," Said Ed.

"Remember Ed, we three are peas in a pod now. We're inseparable," Said Lily.

Ed didn't want to put Lily in any more danger. She said she could take care of herself, but his growing feelings for her made him want to protect her and keep her safely out of harm's way. Her tenaciousness reminded him a little bit of Winry and that thought made him terribly homesick.


	5. Chapter 5

**Central, Amestris - Underground City - Same Night**

Roy traced the transmutation circle for perhaps the one hundredth time when it finally clicked. He didn't know exactly what Al had used to do it, but he knew what the result had been and that gave him a tenuous idea. All of the studying he'd done in that post in the middle of nowhere might turn out to be of some use after all. He needed to talk to Winry and Sheska who had been in the underground city when the airships had come through the gate. He just needed to know a little bit more before he could make the circle work. It was a puzzle and he nearly had all the pieces in place.


	6. Chapter 6

**Berlin, Germany - November 25th, 1923**

Ed, Al and Lily were back in Lily's apartment. Ed and Al settled on the sofa as they had before and Lily sat opposite them. She folded her hands in her lap and let a heavy sigh escape from her lips. She'd never done this sort of thing before. She was always better at keeping secrets than letting them go.

"Edward, Alphonse, there's something I need to tell you. You're probably not going to like it all that much, but you need to know and I need to tell you," Said Lily.

"What is it Lily?" Asked Al.

"For the past few years I've been living here in Berlin, but before that I lived in England. In fact I was born and raised in England. When I was eighteen, I volunteered for service in Her Majesty's Intelligence Service. I had a real knack for it and soon I was assigned to field work. I was given a post here in Berlin where I was to pass along information to my handler. In short, I'm a spy for England," Said Lily.

"What?" Asked Ed.

"Meeting you was not really an accident Ed. We began to be interested in your father, Hoenheim, when he started working with the Thule Society and that's how we knew that there was something going on out at that villa. Of course I couldn't get anywhere near the action that happened out there a couple of weeks ago without being noticed so I was instructed to try to get close to someone who was there to see if I could find out what really happened," Said Lily.

"You really wouldn't have wanted to be there anyway Lily. It was really bad," Said Ed. There was pain in his voice when he thought of the price that was paid to open the gate.

"What did you mean when you said our meeting wasn't an accident?" Asked Al.

"Well, the actual meeting was sort of chance, but I would have tried to meet you eventually anyway. You two were at the villa that night and we knew Ed wasn't a part of the Thule Society, so he might be more inclined to talk. We didn't know about you Al, until after the dust had settled and reports from other agents started coming in. Something happened in there and hardly anyone is talking about it. The British government is intensely interested in knowing what went on there because of the Thule Society's connection to the Nazi party. We know they have plans to dominate Germany and we think that they would start up the war again if given the chance," Said Lily.

"So you were just using us?" Asked Ed. The look on his face was bitter and hurt. He thought that he could feel something for Lily and that perhaps she might feel something back, but if she was just using him and his brother then that made her no better than the Homunculi and military back home ... and Noah who'd used him too to get what she wanted.

Lily let her gaze fall to the hands still folded in her lap. She felt an intense amount of shame for the first time in her intelligence career. In all these years, she had never fallen for a source. But now her heart was in danger of breaking. Without knowing it, she'd fallen in love with Ed. To see him hurt was almost more than she could bear and knowing that she'd caused that hurt was one of the most awful things she'd ever felt.

"Yes, at first. But then things began to happen and I felt that there was a higher purpose to what was unfolding around me. I think that I should be serving that purpose instead of the British government, and you two are central to this purpose. I want to help you find and destroy that weapon. If it's really as bad as you say it is, then no one should ever have it," Said Lily.

"It is that bad Lily. Maybe even worse than I was able to describe," Said Al.

"How do we know you won't just get the location of the bomb and tell your people all about it? How can we trust you Lily?" Asked Ed.

"I would give you my word, but I don't think you would trust it," Said Lily.

"You're right. That's not enough anymore," Said Ed.

"It's all that I have to give though Ed, that and my life. They are both yours," Said Lily.

Al reached out and touched Ed on the arm. He felt the stiffness in his brother's body and could read the hurt in his face. There was more to this than just what was being said. He hadn't seen his brother this way since their mother died. But this time he would keep Ed from doing something as foolish and dangerous as what they did to try to bring their mother back from the dead. It was almost a good thing that alchemy didn't work in this strange world.

"I trust you Lily. You told us the truth when you didn't have to. That took a lot of courage," Said Al.

Al had always had an easier time forgiving people for their mistakes. It was one of the reasons that Ed loved his brother. He wanted to be able to forgive Lily and to trust her again, but it wasn't something that he felt able to do just yet. Maybe in time forgiveness would come but for right now her betrayal hurt him too much to think about it.

"You can come with us then, when we look for the bomb. But don't even think about double crossing us," Said Ed.

"Thank you both. It's more than I deserve. I know that. I won't let you down. I promise," Said Lily. She smiled but it was watery and tremulous. She stood up from her chair and walked into the little kitchen area. She hadn't expected to regain their trust, but what she'd gotten was better than she dared to hope for.

"You two can stay here if you like. I've got extra blankets and pillows for visitors. They're in that cupboard there," Said Lily.

"Thanks Lily," Said Al.

Ed stayed silent, but got up from the sofa to gather up bedding supplies. Lily got herself a glass of water and nearly dropped the glass when she heard knocking at the front door of her shop down below.

"I should go see who it is," Lily said and then she went downstairs without waiting for a reply.

"Follow her Al. We have to make sure that she keeps her word to us," Said Ed.

"I don't think that's necessary Brother," Said Al.

"Just do it. Please Al?" Said Ed.

"All right. But I still don't like this," Said Al.

Al crept down the stairs as quietly as he could and kept to the shadows. He saw Lily open the door and let in a woman. When the woman walked through a patch of light that filtered in through the big front windows, Al saw that it was Noah. He almost made himself known, but Ed wanted to know if Lily would keep her word to them. The only way to know that would be to let things play out as they would if Al wasn't watching. Al didn't like spying on Lily, but if that's what he had to do, then he would try to do it well.

"I'm glad you came Noah. I wasn't sure you would," Said Lily.

"I need to make up for what I did to Ed. This is the only way I can see to do that," Said Noah.

"It seems he has bad luck with women being less than honest to him," Said Lily.

"So you told the brothers your secret then?" Asked Noah.

"Yes. It actually went over better than I expected, though how you know about me is a question for another time. I think Ed hates me though. Al seems more forgiving, but I know my deception hurt them both a lot," Said Lily.

"Perhaps he does hate you. But it doesn't matter. He needs you more than he knows," Said Noah. She reached out and clasped Lily's hand in her own. She was flooded with information from Lily's mind. The transfer only took a moment but it was long enough to get the knowledge she was seeking.

"You love Ed don't you? Good. That will make things a little bit simpler. It will be harder in a way, but nothing in life worth doing is ever easy," Said Noah.

Lily didn't want to talk about her feelings for Ed, so she ignored that comment from Noah. "That's true I guess. But I wanted you to come here to tell me more about Ed and Al. There are things they're not telling me and now I doubt they ever will. But I can't help them unless I know more about them," Said Lily.

"What do you know about Parallel Worlds?" Asked Noah

"Nothing really. I could probably guess, but that wouldn't be very productive," Said Lily.

"There are a couple of things that you must accept as fact if you are to help those two in their quest. First of all, there is a world that is much like ours, only with a few key differences. Second of all, Ed and Al are from that parallel world. They come from a country there called Amestris. Third of all, the science that they use there is alchemy, not physics. It would seem like magic to us, but to them alchemy is the pinnacle of scientific achievement. That is what was used to open a portal, a gate, between the worlds. That's how they got here to our world," Said Noah.

"Oh my goodness! Do they go back and forth between the worlds or are they trapped here?" Asked Lily.

"Alchemy doesn't work in our world so they are indeed trapped here, but that need not be the case. I know you are very interested in what went on up at that villa. Simply put, the Thule Society created a gate somehow between the worlds with the intention of bringing back some sort of weapons to use in another war," Said Noah.

"But how did they open the gate? It can't have been easy if alchemy doesn't work here," Said Lily.

"It wasn't easy at all. The Thule Society used human sacrifice to open the portal, but not just any humans. They used Ed and Al's father and brother to open the gate. They too had been trapped here in our world," Said Noah.

"No!" Lily covered her mouth with her hands. It was too horrible to even think about. All of this information was swirling around in her head and refused to settle into a pattern. All she could think about was how lonely those two must be when they were so far from home and everything that was familiar to them.

"But if the gate was opened, how come they're still here instead of in their homeland?" Asked Lily.

"It was, in and of itself, a supreme act of sacrifice on their part. When the Thule Society opened the gate, they sent troops through to conquer it, probably with the intention of getting resources for their new war that way. But the way through the gate is harsh and the troops seemed to become abnormal in some way. Their leader went mad and, in order to stop the invasion from continuing, Ed destroyed most of the airships and took the last one back to our world to close the gate forever. He thought he was leaving Al behind to do the same on that side of the gate. But Al snuck on board the ship and now they're both trapped here," Said Noah.

"Does that mean the gate is still open?" Asked Lily.

"No. It seemed to close of its own accord about a day after the brothers came through. But I believe it can be opened again," Said Noah.

"How?" Asked Lily.

"We need to try to re-create what the Thule Society did to open it in the first place. I don't have all the pieces to do that, but it's only a matter of time before I do and then I'll be able to fulfill my obligation to Ed at last," Said Noah.

"But that would mean..." Said Lily.

"Yes," Said Noah.

"Noah, how do you know all of this?" Asked Lily.

Noah paused for a moment. She turned away from Lily and looked out of the windows at the street beyond. This was the hardest part to explain.

"I have the ability to read thoughts with just a touch. I abused my gift to get information from Ed so that the Thule Society could open the gate. My only thought was to go through and make a home there. I was selfish and cruel and it was wrong. I hope that being able to send them home will atone for that sin," Said Noah.

"I know that traveling with us is probably a bad idea, but will you meet me in Munich?"

"Yes. Is that where it is, the thing they're looking for?" Asked Noah.

"Perhaps. At the very least there might be a clue. There's a hotel there, The Hummingbird. Meet me there tomorrow evening," Said Lily.

"Fine. Goodbye Lily," Said Noah.

"Goodbye Noah," Said Lily.

Al had heard all he needed to hear and so he snuck back up the stairs. Ed had made Al a bed on the sofa and taken up a little space on the floor. Ed was pretending to be asleep, so Al did the same. He would have to tell Ed all about what he'd heard after Lily was asleep.

Lily let Noah out of the shop, locked the door, and went up to her little apartment. The full ramifications of the path she had chosen hadn't come upon her yet, but no doubt they would crash down upon her soon enough.


	7. Chapter 7

Central, Amestris Sheska's Home Same Night

"I was only there after the gate was open Roy. I don't know what Al transmuted to get it to open. But I think that Wrath was with him. He might know. But no one has seen Wrath since he went off to Central with Al. At least I think he was with Al. They both disappeared at the same time and then Sheska and I saw Al in the Underground City and everything was happening so fast that I didn't even think to ask about Wrath. And now Ed and Al are gone. I wish I knew more to help," Said Winry.

"Actually Winry, you may have helped me in just the right way. I think I know part of what happened that day," Said Roy.

"Do you know how to open the gate then?" Asked Winry.

"I think so. I just need the right material to transmute. I think I know where to get it too, or something that might be just good enough but it's going to be tricky. You should go home to Resembool. When they come back, that's probably the first place they'll want to go. You should be waiting for them," Said Roy.

"Yes, I think I will. You're probably right about them anyway. You'll figure it all out. I just know it," Said Winry.


	8. Chapter 8

**Munich, Germany - November 26th, 1923**

Ed, Al, and Lily were in the market place showing folks the photograph they'd gotten from Fritz Lang with the hopes that someone would recognize one of the men and be able to tell them where to find him. The day was cold and crisp and it felt like there would be snow any moment. None of the people in the market were being very forthcoming about the men in the photograph, but Al had hope that someone would help them. Ed was getting a little frustrated though and Lily kept quiet. She didn't want to make anything worse. The brothers had been rather cool and detached since their conversation last night and she knew they would need some time to come to terms with everything that had been revealed. She knew she was having trouble with what Noah had told her as well.

Late in the afternoon, when they had almost given up hope, Al turned away from the person he had been talking to and saw one of the men in the photograph. It was the one that Fritz had identified as Johan Strauss. The man was buying apples three stalls down.

"Brother! Look!," Said Al.

Ed looked over where Al directed him and a fierce gleam appeared in his eyes. "Hey you!" he shouted.

Strauss looked around until he saw Ed and Al. He froze for just a moment, the look on his face one of surprise and panic, before dropping his bag of apples and sprinting down the street. Ed and Al started running after them. Once Lily, who was a little ways away from them, realized what was going on, she chased after them.

Strauss ran as if his life depended on it. He swerved around vegetable stalls and knocked over a produce cart full of potatoes to try to slow his pursuers down. Ed and Al, side by side, were in hot pursuit. The spilled potatoes slowed them down a little bit, but they never lost sight of their quarry for more than a split second. They were like hounds on the scent of a fox.

Strauss made it to the edge of the outdoor market and ran down an alleyway that was dark and narrow. There were lines of clothes strung between buildings and trash bins on the ground. Ed surged ahead of Al before they entered the narrow confines of the alleyway. Lily was close behind, her skirts flapping around her legs and her hair streaming behind her. She reached into her coat pocket, where she'd put her little gun and pulled it out. She gripped it in her right hand and looked for a way to head Strauss off in the twisting warren of back alleys.

Strauss began to sweat from the exertion. He was more used to long days and nights in the research laboratory than running for his life in the streets and alleys of Munich. But he had no doubt that these were the dangerous fellows he had been warned about and he didn't want to fall into their hands, so he ran for all he was worth. He didn't have much stamina left though. He could feel a stitch developing in his side and his lungs were on fire. His mouth was dry from the gulps of air he was taking and his hands were starting to shake. He had to find a way to loose them before he collapsed entirely.

Ed could see that his quarry was slowing down. At times like these he always praised his Teacher for emphasizing the honing of both mind and body when learning Alchemy. He was eager to catch Strauss though. There was a certain sort of energy to being the hound instead of the fox during the chase and it coursed through his veins like honey. He was getting closer and if he reached out his hand he could almost, almost, almost touch his prey so he put on one final burst of speed and tackled Strauss as he was attempting to turn a corner.

The two men fell in a heap of limbs and heaving chests and Strauss struggled to get away, even on his hands and knees but it was no good. Ed got Strauss' arms pinned behind his own back. Strauss continued to struggle for a moment until Al, who had almost run into them when Ed tackled Strauss, stood in front of Strauss and slapped him in the face to get his attention.

"Hey, why did you run away from us?" Asked Al.

Strauss didn't answer right away because he was too busy trying to catch his breath. He was in his mid thirties and woefully out of shape and scared out of his mind. When he wasn't gasping for air, he was making little whimpering noises. Al didn't think Strauss knew he was making them.

After a moment, Strauss seemed to come to his senses a bit. Lily had finally caught up with Ed and Al but was hanging back. She still had her gun in her hand, but it was hanging down to her side and hidden from view by her skirts. She didn't want to spook Strauss just yet.

"You're going to hurt me. I just know it. They warned us about you two. You killed Ms. Eckart and now you're going to kill me too. Please spare me. I'm not worth killing. I don't know anything about anything. I swear," Babbled Strauss.

"What!? We're not going to hurt you and we didn't kill Eckart. By the time she was shot, by someone else I might add, she was a raving psychotic and probably possessed too," Said Ed.

"No! They told us you'd killed her. They had witnesses," Said Strauss.

"Who told you this?" Asked Al.

"Our sponsors, the Thule Society told us. Please don't hurt me," Said Strauss.

"Ed, Al, we need to go before we start attracting attention. We don't want the police to come upon us like this," Said Lily.

"You're right," Said Ed. "Come on Strauss. You're coming with us, so don't make a big scene or I might be tempted to do something I might regret,"

Strauss seemed to wilt. All the willpower leaked out of him like sweat and he allowed himself to be raised to his feet. Lily came up behind him and pressed the gun firmly into a soft fleshy portion of his side. He couldn't see it, but he knew what it was.

"Don't do anything even remotely stupid or it will most defiantly be your last act on Earth. Ed and Al might have scruples about hurting you, but I most certainly don't. Do you understand?" Asked Lily.

Strauss gulped and took a shallow shaking breath. He nodded his head. "Yes I understand. I'll do anything you want. Just please don't kill me."

Ed and Al flanked Strauss and Lily walked behind him with her gun out. When they got their bearings, they found that they weren't that far from their hotel, so they made their way back with as little fuss as they cold manage. When they got to more populated streets, Lily tucked her gun away in her coat pocket, but Strauss didn't know that and the fear of the gun kept him in line.

They took Strauss up to their suite on the second floor and sat him down in a chair by one of the beds in the room that Ed and Al shared. Al poured Strauss a glass of water from the pitcher on the table in the corner and Strauss gulped it down like a parched man in the desert who had just found a beautiful oasis. He held the glass out for more, but Ed shook his head no.

"Now, we have some questions for you and if you answer them honestly, you'll go free," Said Ed.

"And if I don't?" Asked Strauss.

Ed didn't answer. He just stared at Strauss with menace seeping into his golden eyes. Strauss tried to meet Ed's gaze, but he was a coward and always had been and his attempt at a contest of wills was one he lost in moments. His shoulders slumped and he slouched in the chair. He was in a world of trouble and the only way he could see to get out of it was to do what they said.

He only hoped that it never got back to his sponsors. They had always been a little bit intimidating and he had a vague idea that they were dangerous too, though he'd never had proof of any wrong doing. But cowards learn to spot dangerous people so they can stay away from them. The only reason that he'd agreed to work for them was because of the devise they wanted him to study. It was so completely interesting that it overwhelmed his sense of self preservation at times.

Al pulled the photograph out of his pocket and showed it to Strauss. "We need to find this device. Where is it?"

"What do you want with it?" Asked Strauss.

"That's none of your concern. You should be more worried about your own health and well being than anything else," Said Lily.

"Tell us where it is," Said Ed.

Strauss panicked. This was the one thing he was told never to talk about. No one was to know about the device. It was supposed to be top secret.

"Where did you get that photograph?" Asked Strauss.

"You're not here to ask questions. You're here to answer them. So stop jerking me around and tell me where it is!" Said Ed.

The look on Al's face mirrored the one on Ed's. They looked like hard and determined young men, but it was the quiet woman in the corner that drew Strauss' eye. Lily had sat down in the room's other chair and pulled out her gun again. It looked like it belonged in her hand and it was pointed directly at Strauss. It rested on Lily's knee so casually that Strauss couldn't help staring at it.

Ed reached out and slapped Strauss to get his attention back on the question before him. He reached up and laid a hand against his inflamed cheek and the brief spark of rebellion in his eyes died an early death. He had no recourse but to do exactly what they said.

"We were working out of an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town. They used to manufacture weapons there during the war, but it was shut down when the war was over. Now we do research there and I'm assigned to study the device in the picture. They just sent me out to get produce from the market today. They'll be expecting me back before too long," Said Strauss.

"Oh, you'll go back. You're going to take us there," Said Ed.

"No. I can't. They'll know something is wrong and then..." Said Strauss.

"You don't have a choice," Said Al.


	9. Chapter 9

**Central, Amestris - State Prison - Same Day**

"I'm here to inspect the prisoners," Said Roy.

The guard snapped to attention when Brigadier General Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, spoke to him. The General was almost infamous in the military echelon for his past. The eye patch over his left eye just added to his mystique. A lot of the young enlisted men and women talked about him with an air of reverence almost.

The guard didn't even think twice about unlocking the door and showing the General to where the foreign prisoners were being kept. There was something not quite right about the men who had survived the attempted invasion by the strange flying vehicles. The guard couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he didn't like to be around them for very long. He was relieved when the General ordered him back to his post so that he could proceed with his inspection in peace and quiet.

Roy was glad when the young guard left him alone. There were a handful of men that had survived the invasion attempt and he would probably only need one. There was a part of him that wanted to say that this whole thing was wrong, that he was crazy to even think of it. He knew that was what Hawkeye would say if she were here. That's why he didn't tell her what he was doing.

He wanted to listen to that little voice inside of him, but he squashed it down until it quieted. He was set on this course of action and there was nothing that was going to stop him. He was going to open that portal again and that was all there was to it. Given the materials that were before him, he could make the attempt several times if he had to. He only hoped it wouldn't come to that.

**Munich, Germany - November 26th, 1923**

Lily came down the stairs and entered the lobby of the Hummingbird Hotel. The call she'd gotten in the room said that there was a message waiting for her at the front desk. When she got to the lobby though, there was Noah. Lily had completely forgotten that she'd told Noah to meet her at the hotel.

"Noah, I'm glad you came," Said Lily.

"Come with me. We need to talk quickly and privacy is best," Said Noah. The two women went down the hall towards the room that Noah had gotten and ducked inside.

"Things are moving fast now. We're planning a raid on the laboratory where they have the ... the thing we're after," Said Lily.

Noah's hand snaked out lightning quick and clasped Lily's hand. "It's a weapon, a bomb. They intend to destroy it?" Asked Noah.

"Yes," Said Lily.

"How?" Asked Noah.

"I don't know. We really hadn't thought that far ahead I suppose," Said Lily.

"What if I told you that the only way to destroy that thing is to take it back to where it came from? They have ways to change things there remember?" Asked Noah.

"It's all connected isn't it?" Asked Lily.

"Yes. It is. And you are at the heart of it Lily. You are the only one who can open the gate again. I have all the pieces to the puzzle now. I know how they all have to fit together to make this work. You have to get them back to the villa where it all started. The gate was opened there before and the connection there between the worlds is strong. We can use that to get them and the weapon back to where they belong," Said Noah.

"Why am I the only one that can open the gate again? I don't understand," Said Lily.

"You may not recall it, but it's there in your mind. You were very little and your parents took you to that lake one summer. Do you remember?" Asked Noah.

Lily took a moment to wrack her memory. There was a very fuzzy memory of a trip her family took when she was four years old. She remembered her mother crying a lot at the end of it and hugging her very tightly.

"You're beginning to remember now. Remember the lake and how pretty it looked. There was a dock for little boats. Your mother was putting out a picnic lunch with your father and you wandered off," Said Noah.

Lily's face registered it the moment the memory came back to her. Emotions flew across her face like startled birds. "I do remember now. My parents didn't notice I was gone until they heard me hit the water at the end of the dock. My father was the one who jumped in and pulled me out of the water. I was so scared and I couldn't swim. I think I drowned that day," Said Lily.

"And do you remember what you saw when you were dead?" Asked Noah.

Lily shuddered violently. "A doorway. It was massive and there were carvings all over it. There was a large carving of an eye right in the middle that was so eerie,"

"And what happened when you stood before the gate?" Asked Noah.

Tears started to form in Lily's eyes. She didn't want to remember this. She had been so young that her mind had blocked it out except in dreams sometimes. Her nightmares were particularly vivid and always made her wake in a cold sweat, shivering even at the height of summer.

"It opened. It pulled me in. I couldn't do anything but stand there," Said Lily.

"There was nothing you could have done Lily. But this is the important thing. Only someone who has been inside the gate can open it again," Said Noah.

"How do you know that?" Asked Lily.

"I know it because they know it, Ed and Al. That's how I pieced this all together. We, the four of us, can re-create what the Thule Society did to open the portal. They'll take the weapon and one of the rockets that are still left at the villa and go back to where they belong," Said Noah.

"How do I open the gate when we get there?" Asked Lily.

"You know how. You just have to be strong enough to do it," Said Noah.

**Central, Amestris - State Prison - Same Day**

"Private, there's a prisoner here that the brass want to interrogate. I'm going to have to transfer him to block three," Said Roy.

"Of course General. Do you want me to take him over there for you?"

"No. You shouldn't leave your post. Just get him ready for transport and I'll take him there myself," Said Roy.

"Anything you say General."


	10. Chapter 10

**Outskirts of Munich, Germany - November 26th, 1923**

Johann Strauss crouched behind some bushes near the edge of a small section of forest near the old factory where he was supposed to be doing research. He wasn't alone. Ed, Al and Lily crouched there with him. He was sweating so much, his clothes had become damp. He was utterly convinced that they would be found out and he would be punished by his sponsors for bringing the enemy here.

"The device is kept in the work room at the center of the building. It's under heavy guard. I don't know how you think you're going to get in there," Said Strauss.

"That's not your concern," Said Ed. "Now all we need is a distraction to get the guards out of there."

Lily was crouched behind Strauss, but she was the one to spot the propane tanks jutting out at the back of the building. She felt a warm glow spread over her. "I think I know just the thing. But we can't have Strauss running out there and alerting the guards that we're here," She took the butt of the gun and smacked Strauss in the back of the head, knocking him out.

"Look over there. See those propane tanks? If I can get a little bit closer, I can shoot one of them and it will explode. That will draw the guards out so that you two can sneak in and grab the bomb. I'll have the car running so that we can get away faster. You probably won't have a lot of time if they decided to check on the bomb because of the explosion," Said Lily.

"Alright. Give us a few minutes to get close to the building. We can hide by those trucks over there." Ed pointed to a small group of covered trucks parked just off the front entrance to the laboratory. He and Al didn't waist any time and crept away, trying to keep to the trees as much as they could before they had to make a short sprint to the area where the trucks were parked.

Lily was more nervous than she let on. It was her ability to stay cool under pressure that had made her an excellent spy. She watched the progress that Ed and Al made as best she could and after a few minutes when there was no sign of them and no hue and cry raised at the laboratory, she moved away from the prone form of Johann Strauss so that she could get a better shot at the propane tanks that were lined up and sitting at the back of the building.

When she was in a position that was about as good as it was going to get, she crouched down, steadied herself and fired three times at the closest tank. She felt she was a safe distance away, but the explosion roared up into the sky and knocked her on her back.

The explosion defiantly had the desired effect. People swarmed out of the building like lemmings to the sea. The guards were all armed with rifles and were looking around for any possible danger. Some of them were heading towards the forest and Lily had to move fast to get away from their prying eyes.

She scurried away through the trees, trying to make as little noise as possible, but she was not a rural woman by any stretch of the imagination and was not entirely successful. Thankfully neither were the guards and they didn't penetrate very far into the forest before turning back to help battle the blaze.

When the tank exploded, Ed and Al saw people, both guards and lab workers, rush out of the building to see what had happened. They ran to the side of the building where there were some crates under a window. The crates let them get close enough to the windows to break one when it wouldn't open and crawl through into the laboratory.

Once inside, they followed the directions that Strauss had given them about where the bomb was being stored. They had to duck and weave behind desks and partitions and other barriers to keep out of sight from the few people who hadn't scurried outside to investigate the explosion.

They found the room easily enough but found the door locked. A quick search around the area found that there wasn't anyone very close that they could see and so Ed stood on his flesh leg and kicked the door in with his automail leg. The door crashed open and rebounded to hit the broken door frame with a bang.

"Hurry Brother. I think someone might have heard that," Said Al.

"Right. Come on," Said Ed.

The two of them ran into the room and were surprised by two men who had white coats on over their clothes. They were both standing directly over the bomb with some sort of mechanical instruments in their hands. They didn't even look up from what they were doing.

"Can't you see we're in the middle of something vitally important? I'm sure that whatever it is will sort itself out. Go away," Said the blonde scientist.

"I don't think so pal. We're after that weapon you've got there so hand it over," Said Ed.

The dark haired man was startled enough to drop the thing that was in his hands. It clattered on the cement floor and he backed away from Ed and Al like they had the plague. The look of fear on his face closely mirrored the one that Johann Strauss had worn in the market place before he'd run away from Ed and Al.

"Take what ever you want. Just don't kill me. Please," Said the dark haired scientist.

"Thanks. Hand it over and no one will get hurt," Said Ed.

He and Al advanced on the two scientists and they backed away before them. The blonde one looked slightly less afraid, but he wasn't getting paid enough to deal with psychotic murdering criminals like the ones their sponsors had told them about. This whole thing was making him wish he'd taken that teaching position the previous summer.

Al stepped forward and grabbed the bomb by the handle at the top just like Huskinsen had done when they'd confronted him on his island oh so long ago. He and Ed backed away from the two scientists and out the door. Once outside of the little room, they ran hard for the door that Strauss had told them would be off to the side. It was normally guarded very highly because of it's proximity to the bomb room, but they were hoping that it would be guard free when they got there. They were almost right.

There was one guard left stationed just inside of the door leading outside. Al had the bomb in his hands, so Ed took the lead and punched the guard square in the jaw with his automail hand. The guard went down without any fuss. He looked barely old enough to shave and he hadn't even had time to bring his weapon to bear on Ed before being knocked out.

Ed slammed the door open with his shoulder and Al burst though right behind him. The whole area was a mass of violent activity as guards and lab folks tried to put out the fire. But their efforts were being thwarted because a second tank went the way of the first and the explosion almost knocked Ed and Al to the ground.

They barely kept their feet under them and ran hell bent for leather to the edge of the forest. They were seen though and some of the guards broke off to give chase. They began to fire at Ed and Al, but had been somewhat blinded by the second explosion. By the time their eyesight recovered enough to shoot better, Ed and Al had made it to the relative safety of the trees and were running as fast as they could for the place where they had left their car.

Lily had the motor running and yelped when Ed and Al burst through some bushes to her left. They jumped over the car doors into the back seat of the car and Lily put the gas pedal into the floor. They shot off down the well worn dirt track that led to the paved road. But when they came to the fork in the road, Lily took the one that lead to the villa, and not to Munich.

"Lily, where are you taking us?" Asked Al.

"Back to where this all started," Said Lily.

"Why? What's going on Lily?" Asked Ed.

"I'm doing this for you Ed, and you Al. Trust me. You'll see once we get there," Said Lily.


	11. Chapter 11

**Central, Amestris - Underground City - Same Day**

Roy led the shackled German prisoner down the final steps of the long and winding staircase that led to the Underground City. The man hadn't said much that made any sense. Roy was convinced that the man was insane. But he didn't need to be sane to be useful to Roy. He just needed to be alive.

**Haushofer's Villa, Germany - November 26th, 1923**

Lily stopped the car outside of the villa where the Thule Society had done their dirty deeds. It seemed that they had abandoned it after their coup had failed. Too many people knew about its location for it to be truly useful to their cause for a while. This made it perfect for what Lily and Noah had planned.

"Come on. We have to hurry," Said Lily.

**Central, Amestris - Underground City - Same Day**

Roy took his prisoner and sat him down where he could keep an eye on him. Then he went over to the transmutation circle inscribed on the floor and laid his hands upon it. He felt the energy flow around him and he pushed some of it into the circle. It began to glow.

**Haushofer's Villa, Germany - November 26th, 1923**

"We need to go to where they opened the gate before Ed," Said Lily.

"Why? What are we doing here?" Asked Ed.

"Just trust me. Please? Just for a little while longer Ed," Said Lily.

Ed sighed and led the way to the round chamber with the columns where Envy and his father had died and when he got there, he stopped dead in his tracks. Noah was just putting the finishing touches on a new transmutation circle, just like the one that had been there before.

"What's going on Brother?" Asked Al.

"I don't know. What is going on Lily? I want a straight answer this time," Said Ed.

Lily ignored the question and focused her attention on Noah. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes. I'm just finishing this last bit up and then we can get started," Said Noah.

Noah finished the last line and walked over to where the others were standing. "The answer to your question is quite simple Ed. We're going to send you and Al and that bomb back where you belong, back home."

"But we can't open the gate again. There isn't a homunculus here. The only time the gate opens is when one is around," Said Al.

"I don't believe that to be entirely true Al. All you need is someone who's been inside of or traveled through the gate," Said Noah.

"Well there's no one like that here except Al and I and there's no way we're going to keep making the same mistakes over and over again to try to get home. We are where we are and as much as I would like to change that, there's just no way to do that," Said Ed.

Noah just stood there, her hands folded in front of her. It was not her place to tell this next part. That was for Lily alone to do. Lily took a deep breath and walked past Ed and Al and stood next to Noah, facing them.

"There is a way Ed. I am that way," Said Lily.

The knowledge hit Al first. He'd always been the more intuitive of the two brothers and he almost dropped the precious burden he carried, but he clung tight to the bomb instead. Ed didn't take too much longer to figure it out. It was mere moments before the horror of it all crept into his eyes and bled out to the rest of his face.

"No Lily. You can't. I won't let you," Said Ed.

"You don't have a choice. Look," Said Lily.

The circle which was on the ceiling was a remnant of the first time the gate had been opened and there was a faint glow about it. Ed remembered it from the last time and he began to be filled with dread.

"It's Mustang isn't it Al?" Asked Ed.

"Probably. He would know the most about the gate. But I don't know how he would open it from his end either," Said Al.

"I suspect that he could do it the same way we're going to. He just needs someone who's been through the gate. If any of the invaders survived, then he has ample material for his transmutation," Said Noah.

"No! This is all wrong! We can't do this! There's got to be another way!" Said Ed.

Lily walked over to Ed and placed a hand to his cheek. "I wish there was Ed. I really do. But this is the only way. I know that and I'm alright with it. I had a good life. The only thing I have here is my duty to England. All my family is dead and a spy has no friends. We can't afford them. Once you're gone, I'll have nothing. It's better this way. I can do some real good, not just for England, but for the whole world. You'll take the bomb away to your world and use your alchemy to transform it into something else. Maybe even something good and beautiful. I'd like that."

"But what about the gate? Who's to say that something won't happen and the Thule Society can use it to try to invade again?" Asked Al.

"That's my part in all of this. I'll guard the gate until I can pull this whole place down to the ground so that it can never be opened again. Come. We might not have much time. Ed, Al, we'll need a little bit of your blood to activate the circle," Said Noah.

Noah took out a small knife from the bag attached to her belt. Ed and Al looked at each other, each thinking that this was crazy and sharing that thought through the expression on their faces. But Noah didn't give them a choice.

They each held out a hand and Noah made a small cut on one finger from each hand. Al set the bomb on the floor next to where Lily was standing and then he and Ed approached the circle with caution. The knelt down almost as one as they had so many times before and placed their hands on the edge of the chalk circle. The blood from their fingertips made the circle glow, just like the one on the ceiling.


	12. Chapter 12

**Central, Amestris - Underground City - Same Day**

Roy stepped away from the transmutation circle and saw its glow intensify. He permitted himself a small smile of satisfaction. Someone was on the other side waiting to come through. He could only hope it was Ed and Al, and not more soldiers. But it was a chance he was willing to take if there was even a small chance that he could bring the boys home. He'd made a promise after all, and it was his sworn duty to uphold that promise no matter what it cost.

**Haushofer's Villa, Germany - November 26th, 1923**

Once the circle started to glow, the brothers stood up and stepped back just a little ways. As one, they looked over at Lily. She had her eyes closed and seemed to be muttering something under her breath. Al thought she was praying. He was right.

When she was done, she walked over to Ed and Al. She gave Al a hug and kissed him on the cheek. Al blushed at this show of affection, but didn't mind. After all, Lily was very pretty.

"Stay safe Alphonse. And keep an eye on your brother for me," Said Lily.

"I will Lily," Said Al.

When she let Al out of her embrace, she turned to Ed. "Edward, I know you haven't always trusted me, but I hope that you'll remember me fondly. During out short time together, I grew very fond of you. No, that's not quite right. I fell in love with you," Said Lily.

"Then don't do this. We'll find some other way to destroy the bomb. There must be a way," Said Ed.

"I don't think so. This is the way. It's the path we're on and there is no going back. I know that Ed. I only hope you remember me well and with fondness in your heart. Try not to be too sad. Find yourself a nice girl. Get married. Raise a family. Live a long and glorious life filled with love and adventure. That's what I want for you. For the both of you," Said Lily. She included Al in her smile. Her eyes though, had a shadow of sadness inside of them.

"I found one of the small rockets that were left behind. It should fit the both of you and be fast enough to get through the gate like the last time," Said Noah. "Are you ready Lily?"

Lily stood in front of Edward. She wanted to touch him, but she was afraid to. She was afraid it would undo all her noble intentions. She didn't want to cry, but the tears were there behind her eyes. All they needed was the touch of his hand to spill forth.

Edward saw the struggle in her and closed the gap between them. He took her slender body into his arms and felt the stiffness of control melt away. Her arms encircled him in return and she raised her eyes to meet his. There was a pure joy at this touch and the kiss that followed. It was sweet and tender and passionate and neither one ever wanted it to end.

But end it did and Lily stepped out of the shelter of Ed's arms and she turned away to walk to the middle of the circle. Noah moved off to the side where the rocket was sitting just waiting to fly. With great reluctance, and a little bit of tremulous excitement, Ed and Al walked over to the rocket and strapped themselves into the seats. Al nestled the bomb on the floor between his feet so that he could have his hands free. Noah worked the controls to get the rocket into the upright position. They were all set. Now it was up to Lily and whoever was on the other side to make this work.

**Central, Amestris - Underground City - Same Day**

Roy couldn't explain it, but he knew it was time. He dragged the prisoner to the center of the circle and forced him down onto his knees. The man barley put up a struggle. His mind didn't seem to comprehend what was going on around him. He kept muttering something that Roy couldn't understand.

The man didn't even struggle when Roy pulled out his service pistol and shot the man in the chest. The man didn't die right away and Roy hurried to the edge of the edge of the circle where he knelt down and laid hands upon the circle and transmuted the man to open the gate.


	13. Chapter 13

**Haushofer's Villa, Germany / Central, Amestris - Underground City - November 26th, 1923**

The circle above flared brightly and the brothers both knew that whoever was on the other side of the gate had successfully transmuted to open the gate on their end. The light was beautiful and tinged a brilliant blue. Lily thought it looked too lovely to be born of something so dire.

Lily had done all that she could to prepare for this. She had said her prayers in hopes of mercy from the Creator. She had said goodbye to the only people who still mattered to her and she had told Ed that she loved him. True, he hadn't said it back, but the passion in the kiss they shared had told her all she needed to know.

Once she saw that the brothers were ready to launch, Noah walked over to the edge of the circle. She would perform her first and last act of alchemy this evening. Part of her still wished that she could go with them through the gate and make her home in another world where no one knew of her people and where no one hated her just for being a gypsy. But that path had been closed to her and now her road led her in another direction. If Lily could make this sacrifice, then Noah would do no less than her fair share.

When all was in place, Lily pulled the little gun she still carried out of her pocket. She clutched it in both hands and turned towards where the rocket waited. Ed and Al were both staring at her as if there was nothing else in the world to see. She returned their gaze. The last thing she wanted to see was Edward. Lily's hand shook as she raised the gun to her temple and she took one last deep breath before she pulled the trigger, spilling blood and brain matter all over the transmutation circle.

Noah dropped to her knees and pressed her hands to the circle. The blood and the sacrifice charged the circle and she bent it to her will and opened the gate. An amber light filled the air above her that looked as beautiful as she imagined Heaven would be. She stood up quickly and ran over to the rocket's controls. She pressed a few of the buttons in the correct sequence and pulled the toggle to launch the rocket.

The rocket heaved itself into the air and Ed, at the controls, steered for the gate shimmering above. He pushed the rocket to accelerate to a speed fast enough to outdistance the greedy reaching arms of the beings who existed within the gate. A fury blazed in his eyes at the price paid by so many people to get him back home, but he would do his best to make sure that their sacrifices were not in vain, especially Lily's.

Al was a little bit afraid. This wasn't like when he came through the gate before. He could see the long thin black arms reaching out for the rocket as the hurtled past them. They always missed the rocket, but sometimes it was by a very narrow margin. The trip through was over before he knew it though and they punched through to the underground city where Ed tried to control the rocket enough to land it without killing them both.

**Haushofer's Villa, Germany - November 26th, 1923**

Noah watched the tail end of the rocket disappear into the gate and felt tears that she had been holding deep within herself burst through her eyes and flood down her cheeks. She left the control panel and walked slowly back to the transmutation circle. Lily's body was gone as if it had never been. There wasn't even any blood.

She cried for lives lost and paths untried for a few moments before asserting herself and setting about keeping her promise. The Thule Society had used her to get to Edward and she had let them, but this time, they would pay a price for what they had made her do. She took a torch she had made while she was preparing the ritual and set fire to it with a match from the pouch at her belt. She took that torch and walked all through the ground floor of Karl Haushofer's fine villa and set fire to anything that would catch flame.

She found an exit while she could and started walking away into the night. She didn't follow the roads in case anyone was on them. She went through the surrounding forest until she came to a hill on the other side of it that had a view of the burning villa. By then the sun had set and you could see the flames for miles around. It was a beautiful and deadly sight and it filled Noah's heart with joy. That was a fitting memorial to the sacrifices that had been made in that place.

Noah stayed all night to watch the flames in the distance. She fell asleep some time before dawn even thought the air was cold and the ground was hard and not really fit to sleep on. After a short rest she rose to her feet and walked away, leaving it all behind her forever.

**Resembool, Amestris - Some Time Later**

An old dog with an automail leg is sleeping on the front porch of a yellow two story house. Off in the distance two figures walk down the road getting closer and closer. Soon the dog begins to bark. A young woman with blond hair and blue eyes comes out to quiet the dog and sees the figures approach.

Winry almost can't believe her eyes. She's dreamed of this moment for so long that she can't believe it's real. She just stands there, unblinking because if she blinks, they might vanish.

"Winry? We're home," Said Al.

"Al? Ed? Is that really you?" Asks Winry. The tremor in her voice is the only indication of the emotions roiling inside of her. She can't even move. She had hoped and prayed for Roy to be successful in opening the gate, but now she knew. In some part of herself, she knew the terrible price he must have paid to make it happen.

"It's really us Winry. We're back for good now," Said Ed.

"Oh Edward, Alphonse, I've missed you so much," The damn inside of her finally breaks and she rushes down the stairs and throws herself into Ed's arms. She holds out an arm to beckon Al closer and includes him in the three way hug.

"Now that we're home Winry, we don't ever plan on leaving again," Said Al. But only time would tell if that implied promise would be true.


End file.
